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Tobacco Farmers Suffer from Poor Health, Dwindling Market    

Farmers in Tajikistan's Zarafshon Valley this year will reduce tobacco crops by one-third. The decision has nothing to do with the worldwide anti-tobacco campaign or worries about smokers' health. For these farmers, the issue is purely economic. For the past two years, they have watched the market dwindle and have been left with almost no income -- and in poor health. . .

Tobacco is the only source of income for thousands of farmers in Zarafshon Valley. For many years, families in the region have rented plots on the tobacco plantation from local authorities. They grow the plant, gather their leaves, and sell them to the state-run Food Corporation for export abroad.

But now farmers say that for the past two years they have been unable to find a customer for their products.

Russia is Tajikistan's main tobacco importer. But many Russian companies have canceled their contracts with Tajikistan, saying the quality of the tobacco is not sufficiently high.

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